Swacch & Safe Localities! Senior Citizens Living Around JNU Write To PM For Public Washrooms, CCTV Surveillance

As the BBC Documentary Row leads to yet another protest across universities in the country, a concern raised by residents across these institutions has again come to light. The concerns, written down in the form of a letter to the Prime Minister by the Senior Citizen Forum residing in the Munirka Vihar of Delhi around the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), was one that many failed to address. Surprisingly the letter's content was not against the noise, traffic, or protests, but for the strangers that come knocking on their doors to use the toilets.

A Letter From Residents Who Witness Prorests Everyday

Protests at JNU and the deployment of police and media persons have become common for many residents in the locality. Along with this, it has become common for them to see these people come knocking on their doors due to the lack of public convenience booths in the locality.

Raising this concern, the Senior Citizen Forum has now written to PM Narendra Modi demanding the construction of a public washroom for the people and avoiding incidents of open defecation. The letter dated December 12, 2022, noted that the flats in Munirka Vihar were mostly allotted to central government employees in the 1970s, and most of the residents there are now senior citizens.

They have often noticed people relieving themselves in the open due to the lack of public convenience booths, resulting in a foul smell blanketing the entire area. It also poses serious health risks for the residents. They attempted to take this concern to the authorities several times, but it went in vain. Finally, they had to approach the proponent of the Swacch Bharat Mission to rectify the situation.

In the letter, they mentioned how the situation worsened during the university protests. With police personnel and media persons stationed outside the university, they often have no option but to knock on the people's doors to use the washrooms. Talking about this, the forum member PN Malhotra said, "Men can relieve themselves in the open. Let me stress that this is also wrong. But when there are no other option, they can. But women journalists stationed outside the university for hours have no option but to knock on our doors." While most try to help the people, the residents also feel unsafe because of the outside security situation. As senior citizens, all these aspects have added to their concerns.

For Swacch And Safe Localities

Yet another thing the residents noted is the need for installing CCTV Cameras around the locality. A resident, Satwant Kaur, stressed the need for CCTV surveillance as many senior citizens in the locality live alone. According to The Print's report, this makes many houses in the area prone to theft and burglary, especially during the chaos of protests.

Installing CCTV would instil a sense of fear in the minds of outlaws and could ensure surveillance of the streets at all times. They also listed a few other demands, including covering open drains, verifying vendors, and installing a small LED screen in the police booth near the D Street gate of DDA flats, Munirka. The Senior Citizen Forum's letter also made it a point to extend their gratitude to the forces and noted, "Our police force in Delhi works day and night to safeguard the security of our worthy VIPs, senior citizens, and residents of Delhi. Our police force deserves your appreciation and reward of encouragement to boost their efficiency."

Also Read: BBC Documentary Row: Protests In West To Ban Media House & Petitions In India To Investigate 2002 Riots